Abortion ban: El Salvador releases women jailed after abortion | Women’s Rights News

The women were jailed for six to 13 years in prison under some of the region’s toughest anti-abortion laws.

El Salvadoran authorities have released three women who spent between six and 13 years in prison in the country. strict anti-abortion laws after suffering gaps, a rights group reported.

Women lost their fetuses as a result of “health emergencies” during pregnancy, according to the ACDATEE abortion rights advocacy group.

They were released on Thursday and reunited with their families at Christmas after changing their prison sentences for more serious homicide. Free women were identified only with first and last names.

Karen spent six years in prison, Kathy eight and Evelyn 13, ACDATEE member Morena Herrera told AFP news agency.

“It is a joy for all of us who have fought for the freedom of all women who are suffering from obstetric emergencies under this harsh and inhumane criminal law,” Herrera added.

The Savior in all cases it prohibits abortion, and termination of pregnancy can send a woman to prison for up to eight years. But judges often convict women of aggravated homicide and can be sentenced to up to 50 years in prison.

Many women are being prosecuted for seeking medical help after complications during their pregnancy because they wanted to have an abortion.

Fourteen other women remain in jail for similar reasons to Karen, Kathy and Evelyn, according to ACDATEE. “We continue to fight for the freedom of other women prisoners,” Herrera said.

Campaigns are being demanded Government of El Salvador when a woman’s life is at risk for legalizing abortion, when the fetus is unfeasible, or if the pregnancy is the result of rape.

But their efforts suffered a major setback in September President Nayib Bukele the doctor rejected the constitutional reform that his government would open the door to legalize necessary abortions.

Catholic and evangelical Anti-abortion groups often coordinate protests and social media campaigns against efforts to liberalize the country’s abortion ban. In these cases the victims argue that they are unborn fetuses, rather than women who are incarcerated or their families.

The United Nations has repeatedly denounced it El Salvador Criminalization of women suspected of abortion.

Other Latin American countries, however, have been calming down in recent times on abortion in what they call a “green wave” campaign for women’s rights.

After a decade of struggle Advocates for women’s rights in Argentina, while in December the country’s Senate legalized abortion Ecuador decriminalized abortion in April cases of rape.

The procedure is legal in Uruguay, Cuba, Mexico City and the three Mexican states.

In september It was ruled by the Mexican Supreme Court that criminalizing abortion is unconstitutional.

El Salvador is one of the few countries in Latin America Nicaragua, Suriname, Dominican Republic and Honduras – where abortion is by no means legal, according to the Global Doctors for Choice campaign group.